Google changes how it tracks Android versions

What’s the best way to figure out how many versions of an operating system are in use? If the software has a place it regularly checks in, that would seem to be a fairly accurate measure, right?

That’s how Google has been measuring which versions of Android are in the wild, and reporting the results twice a month on its Developer Dashboard. This helps the people who make apps for Android know where to concentrate their efforts when working on software for a fragmented OS landscape.

But now, Google is changing the way it tracks Android versions. Starting this month, instead of counting automated check-ins to Google servers, the company is only counting user-initiated access to the Play Store. Instead of registering all Android devices in use, it’s only counting those owned by people who go hunting for apps or app updates.

Here’s how Google puts it:

Note: Beginning in April, 2013, these charts are now built using data collected from each device when the user visits the Google Play Store. Previously, the data was collected when the device simply checked-in to Google servers. We believe the new data more accurately reflects those users who are most engaged in the Android and Google Play ecosystem.

The first report is in, and under this new system the most current version of Android, known as Jelly Bean, has made major gains.

Under this new method, Jelly Bean (versions 4.1.x and 4.2.x) now accounts for 25 percent of Android devices accessing the Play Store. In March, according to Droid Life, that number was 16.5 percent.

The results also show that the most modern versions of Android are in the solid majority. Combined, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean have a 54.5 percent share. And, perhaps most importantly, the number of phones running Gingerbread has fallen to 39.8 percent from 44.2 percent in March. Gingerbread (version 2.3.x) has proven to be the Windows XP of Android, hanging on and forcing developers to maintain compatibility with its increasingly outdated feature set.

You can certainly argue that, in the context of app development, Play Store accesses are a good way to keep an eye on the distribution of Android versions. Developers want to offer apps for people who’ll actually download them, and by taking passive Android users out of the numbers, developers have a clearer picture of the true audience for their goods.

But in terms of knowing the actual state of the Android ecosystem, this is less useful. It’s not a clear picture of devices in actual use. Those who want to keep the pressure on Google, handset makers and wireless carriers to provide more frequent updates to Android for users now have less potent ammunition.